stuck pump plungers - fixable?

[GREASE FIRE]

i figured out it was the injection pump that prevented my truck from starting unless the block heater was plugged in - then it would start fairly easily and run fine. Kind of strange-sounding but that's the deal.

anyway, i pulled the old pump off and send it in for rebuilding, and while i was waiting i tried putting a used pump on that i had sitting around. It had a "remanufactured" tag on it, was quite clean looking, and came from a running engine so it was working until it was pulled. Then it sat for perhaps a year, maybe two at most.
there was not a single drop of fuel coming out even though i know it had fuel going to it and i could not get it to start at all. So my guess is that the plugers were stuck from sitting around too long. It had been drained of diesel but i guess there was still enough in there to gel up of whatever.

anyway, is this something that a typical IDI user could fix or does it need a total rebuild? i doubt seriously anything in that pump is really damaged - it just seems more like stuck to me.

has anyone here ever fixed something like this without being an injection system tech?

thanks!
Paul

 

[idi traveler]

You might try filling the filter with ATF disconnect the fuel line from the pump and crank it over until you get AtF at the pump. Reconnect the fuel line then crank it over enough that you you see ATF out of the pump. Let it sit over night and see what happen. Just a thought and would only cost of the ATF.

 

[rhkcommander]

I'm not an internal pump expert but I do know that I've seen the fuel shutoff solenoid sold separately... If I were you I'd investigate that, if the FSS doesn't open then no fuel can go through as you've described. It's also how we turn our trucks off when normally operating..

 

[Agnem]

When you hold the pump in your hand, and spin the shaft, does it make any noise? If so, they are not stuck. Possibly your fuel inlet screen is fowled. Are you getting any fuel out of the pump return at that top when you apply fuel presure?

 

[GREASE FIRE]

When you hold the pump in your hand, and spin the shaft, does it make any noise? If so, they are not stuck. Possibly your fuel inlet screen is fowled. Are you getting any fuel out of the pump return at that top when you apply fuel presure?

yes, it does make that internal "clicking" noise. And, i think i am getting fuel out the return because i opened the top cover and it was full of fuel (previously the pump had beed drained & there was none in it when installed).

i also checked the shutoff solenoid to confirm that it is working.

i thought about the screen but how could it get messed up? could whatever diesel was left in it have some how clogged it while it was sitting off the truck? i would not have thought so but what do you think?
thanks,
Paul

 

[Agnem]

Sounds like everything should be working... take a few injection lines off where they attach to the front of the pump, and crank it to see if you get any fuel there. If so, you're just having a classic bleed problem and you need to modify your proceedure.